Saturday, December 6, 2008

Philosophy of Education

This is a little bit embarrassing to admit, but when I started this project, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to accomplish it.  The ideas that I had about how I was going to bring it all together were so out there, I don't even want to discuss it.  I was very amazed at how easy it was to put a movie together.  I had originally imagined a video, and PowerPoint, and some how combining those with a CD playing in the background to get my final project. Well I wasn't going to mention my ideas, but at least you know where I was coming from now. Thanks to Jason's helpful tutorials, it was a lot less confusing than I had imagined.  I had a great time putting the movie together. I got pretty excited thinking about how my students could use this technology in my classes.  
I again had some issues with uploading my video to YouTube, and after some initial frustration, I was informed that 321 MB is quite a big file.  I was able to downsize the file, and I successfully uploaded my first video to YouTube.  You can check it out here.
Well, this will be my last post until after the holiday season.  I hope you all have a great holiday, and I look forward to working with you all on the second half of our journey.  It is all down hill from here!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Article Assessment Three

Landon Roberts - landonmroberts@gmail.com - 11/17/08
Tools for the Mind - Mary Burns
Overview
In "Tools for the Mind,"  Ms. Burns pulls back the curtains to take a closer and more in depth look at why computer technology in the classroom has not engaged students to the extent that it was hoped it would.  Ms. Burns discusses the battle between lower (power point, word processor) and higher (databases, spreadsheet) applications in the classroom.  Ms. Burns believes that there is a much needed move that needs to take place between these two levels of thinking skills. She believes that students should be using higher order thinking software and teachers need to be trained in these kinds of applications.  Ms. Burns gives some reasons why she believes higher order tools are not as often used, (not user friendly. take more time to learn) and then discusses some possible solutions to dealing with this problem.
References
  • Students and teachers must become creators of information and ideas, not simply users of technology.
  • 81% of technology use is electronic presentation.
  • online collaborations and content-oriented simulations are rarely used in today's classrooms.
  • Lots of professional development opportunities focus on teaching skills instead of teaching how computers could possibly enhance student learning
  • Many teachers are self conscious and intimidated by technology because they believe that do not know enough to use it.  
Reflection
I see this issue a lot in the classrooms that I observe.  When a project is presented to the students, they are asked to put it in a PowerPoint presentation, or write a paper about it.  Most of the time the material is copied and pasted and not cited.  Students today with the fast paced world in which we live don't seem to want to take the time to learn something in depth.  Skim the surface, get it done and move on.  I honestly think that issue that Ms. Burns addresses is a very scary reality for today's students.  Students are used to skimming the surface and are having a harder and harder time actually thinking.  Teachers on the other side of the coin are expected to get through so much material, that there is little time for experimenting and getting accustomed to more thought provoking software and computer based educational material.  I think that Ms. Burns hit the nail on the head in her first strategy when she mentioned teaching critical thinking skills become technology.  I believe that is the number one issue in our educational system today.  Kids have a hard time thinking through problems and issues.  When that problem can begin to be solved, I believe a lot of our issues in schools will begin to fix themselves as well.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Powerpoint Presentation Analysis

Wow!  That was uncomfortable but insightful.  I did not particularly enjoy watching myself stumble through my powerpoint presentation, but I did get some insights into how I act while speaking in front of people. 
Strengths
  • Eye contact was good
  • I did not read directly from the powerpoint
  • I generally was turned toward the audience
  • Voice tone was good
Weaknesses
  • Said Um too much
  • Thoughts were not totally clear and congruent
  • Paced back and forth in the same spot, THE WHOLE TIME
  • Played with my powerpoint remote a lot
This was an interesting assignment.  I think everyone should force themselves to watch how they interact in front of a group.  The insights gained can be very helpful in becoming an effective speaker.  That is the whole point of what we are trying to do.  As teachers, the most basic principle is that we can communicate ideas to our students.  If we are not able to do that effectively, than our students will suffer the greatest consequence.  I plan on doing this exercise more often.  I think that lessons gained from critiquing our work will have tremendous positive consequences.   
Unfortunately, I am having some difficulty with the technology side of the assignment.  I have not been able to download my presentation onto teachertube or youtube.  I think that internet speed down here in Ketchikan is insufficient.  I have edited my video and cut it down in length so hopefully I will work this time.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Energy Conservation Project Results

The results are in.  After some field work and some number crunching, I now have some data to answer the question, how much oil could a save annually by using cloth grocery bags instead of plastic grocery bags?  To be very honest I was surprised at how little oil is actually used.  At an individual level the results are not staggering, but as more people are added to the equation, the impact on oil resources definitely begins to take its toll.  Here are links to my spread sheet and powerpoint presentation.
The reason that I wanted to look into this issue is because it seems like it is such a simple way to reduce energy waste.  While I was traveling through Europe a few years ago, that was one things that really stuck out to me.  No one used plastic bags when they shopped.  Everyone carried their own cloth bags with them.  I felt like that was one thing I could bring home with me that would easily be introduced into my life.  While I am not perfect, I have been able to make some changes in that area. 
As with most research, this project brought more questions and problems to answer.  Although the oil numbers were not jaw dropping, that amount of bags that are thrown away was.  That effect that plastic bags have on the environment was probably the most important thing that I learned throughout this project.  The animals that are affected by plastic bags being blown all over is a real concern.  With only 2-3% of plastic bags being recycled, the number of bags in our landfills and floating around the world is sickening.  By using a cloth bag, I can not only save oil, but I can also protect our environment as well.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Article 2 Review

Landon Roberts
Landonmroberts@gmail.com
10-21-08
The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web
by Will Richardson
Overview
In this article Mr. Richardson examines how the internet continues to change the world in which we live.  Instead of the internet being a place were people can gather mass amounts of information, it is starting to become a place where users can publish their own information. In the article he examines 
  • blogs
  • wikis
  • podcasts
  • RSS feeds
and argues that the classroom can and should be a place where these tools can be utilized.  Mr. Richardson advocates for their use in the classroom and analyzes how this technology will change the very dynamic of the classroom setting. 
Reference Points
  • Blogs allow users to create a webpage without all of the hassle of learning hypertext language.
  • Wiki's are website that can be edited by anyone at any time.  Wikipedia.org is the most famous example of a wiki.  The community polices that site to maintain informational integrity.
  • RSS (really simple syndication) allows users to streamline their information gathering potential.  This will allow amazing research capability to students.  
  • Podcasts allow people to broadcast anything they like at any time.  It is like having a personal radio station.
  • With the ability to reach beyond the classroom walls, teachers should be comfortable becoming a content guide, instead of a content expert
  • Students need to learn to become web editors of information instead of web consumers.
  • Teachers need to balance the risks and benefits of integrating these ideas.  Student protection should be a huge priority, but should not discourage the use of new technologies.
Reflection
As I read this article I got very excited about the possibilities of these technologies in the classroom.  The ability to make your classroom such an interactive environment seems very cool.  The things that makes me apprehensive is my lack of understanding about all of these new technologies.  I guess that is why we are taking this course.  I got very excited reading about the school who was using blogs to communicate with students in Krakow about the Holocaust.  To think that we have the ability to move beyond the walls of our classroom or school is very exciting.  The big question is, where do you start?

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Energy Conservation Project

Being ignorant about energy conservation issues is hard to do these days.  Energy conservation ideas are everywhere, which they should be.  We all need to do our part to reduce energy consumption and reduce our carbon footprint.  I don't get to use that word very much so that was kind of fun.  One of the issues that I feel needs to be addressed in my own life is that amount of plastic bags that I use.  I see those things everywhere.
  • In my house
  • Along the side of the road
  • In the ocean when I am using my boat (another energy hog)   
So my question is:
How many barrels of oil would I save in a year by using a cloth grocery bad instead of using plastic grocery bags?
An obvious starting point in this project would be to see how many plastic grocery bags I use personally in a year.  Since I don't have a year to make that observation, I am going to estimate.  I will calculate how many grocery bags my wife and I use over a two week period and average that out per week.  Then I can estimate how many we would use in a year.  
I am assuming that this number is going to fairly small, so I would like to play with some other numbers as well.  Perhaps I can convert my
  • family
  • school
  • town
to my new ways.  How many barrels of oil would we be saving then?
The most important piece of information that I am going to need to find is how many plastic bags are produced by a barrel of oil.  Or possibly how much oil it takes to produce one plastic bag.  
Should be fun, can't wait to see what everyone else is doing,
Landon

Monday, September 29, 2008

Anthropologist at Ketchikan High School

I am not going to say that it was easy, in fact there were a couple of times where I actually had to swear under my breath.  These tech people are busy.  There is no doubt about that.  Once I was able to track them down and schedule a meeting (a week later), I learned a lot about the tech culture at Ketchikan High School(Kayhi).  
I learned throughout this project that Kayhi has a ways to go, but generally speaking, the tech culture is very good.  The support staff, especially Tammy Morris, are very capable individuals. They will do whatever the can to help the staff and students create an environment that is tech friendly.  Our tech rep for Kayhi, Gary Boatwright, is extremely helpful, and I have already used is expertise numerous times this year.  
Being able to know where I can get "gear" and help was probably the most important part of this project for me.  Learning those aspects of your school can save you so much time and energy, and it is already paying off for me.
Report Link:

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Article Assessment 1

Landon Roberts
Landonmroberts@gmail.com
9/21/08
Listen to the Natives
by Marc Prensky
Overview
In Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky describes the gap that is perpetually growing between digital natives (today's young people that are increasingly proficient in the uses of 21st century technologies), and the digital immigrants (those of us not born into the digital era). Mr. Prensky focuses his discussion on the relationship between students and their teachers in a quickly evolving educational setting.  He emphasizes the need for the educational system, especially teachers, to move out of date 20th century styles of teaching to the new digital age of learning.
Reference Points
  • Prensky classifies people into two groups, today's students are considered digital natives (born into the digital world), everyone else is considered a digital immigrants (not born into the digital world)
  • Classrooms need to be more engaging to connect with today's students.
  • Teachers need to get input from students about how they feel they should be taught.  Students need to be active participants in all areas of their learning experience; curriculum development, teaching methods, discipline etc.
  • Students are fully engaged in the digital world outside of school and teachers need to find ways to encourage the digital world in the classroom through gameplay, interesting choices and immediate and useful feedback.
  • Teachers should allow students to choose their own group partners to encourage optimal learning.
  • Digital tools are becoming increasingly important in student's lives.  Perhaps the most important tool, the cell phone.  Instead of banning cell phones in our classrooms, teachers should find ways to embrace them.
  • The job market today in changing rapidly.  Students want to learn subject matter that is relevant to their lives.  Utilize guest speakers that are on the cutting edge of new technologies and jobs
  • Students want to voice their opinion in their education. 
Reflection
In Digital Natives, Mr. Prensky takes an interesting angle on the direction that the education system needs to take to be more effective for today's students.  Although some of the ideas that Prensky brings up are interesting, I felt that they were more ideological in nature than practical.  
I do agree with him that education systems need to incorporate more technology into their classrooms.  It is a digital world, and students need to be familiar with those technologies to stay on par with the rest of the world.  My concern with Mr. Prensky's analysis is that he believes that we need to totally revamp the system to accommodate student's lack of interest and attention span.  Classrooms needs to be engaging, but turning it into a "gameplay" area does not mean that we are actually encouraging learning.  Sure we can keep their attention, but are we actually teaching students how to think and become better citizens of our communities?  
Walking through the halls at our school, I can't even say hello to a students because they are all on their cells phones or have ipods in their ears.  Our society is becoming increasingly distant from each other.  Bringing these tools (cell phones) into the classrooms seems at first like a management nightmare, and it contributes to the ever increasing divide between students and students, and students and teachers. 
I must admit that I do not agree with a lot of what was written by Mr. Prensky.  I believe that there is as much a divide between students as there is with teachers concerning technology.  Many students (especially in Alaska) do not have the same technological prowess as maybe students down south.  Maybe that is because of access or financial differences, I don't know, but just because kids are born in the digital age does not mean they have the same access to or understanding of that technology. 
As I look over what I am writing, it is becoming increasingly clear how much of a digital immigrant I am.  Is it possible for our generation to really change the system, or will it have to be the digital natives that come behind us that bring about the change.  At this point I feel torn.  Maybe I feel anxious about where I see technology moving our world and I long for the days of knob turning television, and easy fix automobiles.  I realize those days are long gone, but the question remains; can we digital immigrants survive in this new era or are we going to become another species on the extinction list?
  
 
 

Monday, September 8, 2008

Futuring

A.  How would you assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?
In class you mentioned that the students in School Train were asked to describe what a metaphor was.  In the presentation, the students did a good job making a connection between school and a train.  So as for meeting the requirements, they did a good job.  I would have given the project a good grade.  If I were assessing Fox Becomes a Better Person, I would have been looking for:
  • relevant visuals
  • clear speaking voice
I think Hannah did a great job meeting both of the criteria and she would have received a good grade if I were assessing her project. 
B.  What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?
Impacts on the classroom could be both positive and negative.  When looking at the negative impacts one would have to consider the incredible amount of unreliable information that people would have to wade through.  If everyone in the world has the ability to put their own ideas out there, it is going to be very hard to find reliable info.  That is already beginning to happen now.  As a history teacher, it is very difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction right now, I can't imagine what it is going to be like in the near future. 
On the positive spectrum, especially when looking at podcasts, the world can be at our finger tips.  As there becomes increasingly less and less money for public education, field trips and other activities are becoming obsolete.  With podcasts our students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with people across the globe that they would have never had the change to talk to before.  That is an exciting idea to think about.
C.  How would you use Sabrina's piece as a model for something you would do with your own students?  
At the beginning of the school year in our U.S. History class, we had the students create a timeline of their life.  We asked the students to share seven major turning points that stood out in their life.  Watching Sebrina's piece gave me an idea for a project using that format.  The students could create a video timeline using pictures and other media to tell their story.  The project would be a lot more fun and I think the students would really enjoy it.
  
  

First Blog

Just want to see if this works.  This class is really going to be an eye opener for me.  I feel very behind in the technology world.